Darkest Before The Dawn
by OneDarkBella
Summary: Bella and Edward meet filming "Darkest Before the Dawn" Will Bella be able to leave her lustful ways to give Edward a chance?
1. Prologue

**Darkest Before the Dawn**

**Written by: Hollywood2Brooklyn**

**Prologue**

**A/N:**

There is adult content and vulgarity in this story. I will try to keep the vulgarity down to a minimum but it's needed. There will be some alcohol consumption and a mention of drug use that will be minimal. I'm straight edge so there will not be any serious drug use.

I will also warn you that this is a dark story but it has a message that must be heard. I wish I could have this story at a rating where everyone could read it but it would limit the ability to give this story true justice.

Well I hope I've hooked you enough to give my little story a try.

I'd also like to take the time to thank Jaypat & LovesWolvesNVamps for helping me expand on my vision. You two have given me advice that has expanded the story beyond to what I thought it could be.

To my lovely Beta-Beauty TheMB - You rock my words to say how I feel but better. You make me sound like I'm a real writer! LOL

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight but not how my twisted little mind came up with this version.

Please review, as I need to know if I'm on the right track.

* * *

**In a small diner on the outskirts of Augusta, GA, a truck driver stopped in for a quick meal and a cup of joe on his way to deliver his next long distance haul to Atlanta. **

**The waitress behind the counter looked up and saw a 5'10" man with a scruffy chin, mustache and slightly curly black hair. She looked into his deep chocolate eyes and welcomed him as he stepped up to the counter. She asked him, "What can I do you for?" The truck driver just smiled at the Southern-styled question. **

**He looked into the most gorgeous crystal blue eyes he'd ever seen, smiled even wider, and asked for a cup of coffee and a menu. She grabbed a clean mug from under the counter and poured a steamy cup of the strongest coffee anyone on this side of Texas had ever had. The scruffy truck driver took a large sip and shook from the bitterly strong drink. The waitress informed him that it was the "Truck Driver's Special," made and served just for their special customers-- the truck drivers who frequented the little diner. **

**With that brief exchange, a romance started to bloom.**

**Two days later, the same scruffy truck driver went to the same tiny dinner on the outskirts of Augusta. He walked in hoping to see the blue-eyed beauty, and luck was with him that evening as his eyes rested upon her standing behind the counter, cleaning. He sat down at the counter again and they picked up where they left off. **

**A mix-up at the depot left the scruffy truck driver stranded near the small diner for a week. Naturally, he went to the diner three times or more a day during that week. The two soon fell in love over many cups of coffee and a dozen slices of cherry pie. **

**He dazzled her with his stories of living out on the road. The waitress listened wide-eyed with amazement. The driver told the waitress that, though he made a living on the road, he'd like to settle down soon. A buddy of his told him about a possible job out in California and was thinking about putting down roots for once. He grabbed the waitress' hand, looked into her eyes, and told her that he'd like to settle down with her in Hollywood, if she'd go away with him.**

**The waitress was swept up in the moment. The thought of leaving the little town she lived in, where she shared a run-down house with her abusive mother, to move to a big city for the first time was an offer the waitress couldn't refuse. She'd fallen in love with the mysterious man who was "just passing through". Her head was filled with visions of gold-paved streets in Hollywood where she could rub elbows with the big stars she saw in the movies. **

**All of this was too much for her to pass. She saw the brass ring and grabbed it, knowing her future was forever changed. So she looked at the short order cook, exclaimed that she quit and was getting out of this one-horse town, and threw her apron at him. She ran around the counter and was swept up into the scruffy man's arms as they kissed the type of kiss only seen in fairytales.**

****

**Two years later at a diner on Hollywood Boulevard, two blocks north of Vine Street, the same waitress was cleaning around a drunken homeless person asleep at a table in the corner. She walked over to the table where a bunch of punk rock kids that looked like they were dropping acid left a mess with open bottles of salt, pepper and ketchup poured out on the table. She dug around to find the 2 quarters that was left behind as her tip. **

**As she walked to the back to put the dirty dishes in the sink, she went into the ladies room and locked the door. Her back pressed against the door as she slid down to the floor, crying. She placed one hand on her round, swollen belly and felt the baby on the inside kick. The other hand she placed over her mouth to help muffle the cries. **

****

**Not all fairytales have happy endings; many end in tragedy. One life was in deep despair as, that night, a new life came into the world. Would the same tragic life continue to repeat for the unborn child within? Only time would tell. **

**This is where my story began… **


	2. Chapter 1

**Darkest Before the Dawn**

**Written by: Hollywood2Bklyn**

**Chapter One**

**BPOV**

_**Damn it! I've been working on this research all weekend. I need to get out of my head and out of my apartment. I'll just go out for a bit to unwind. Maybe dance a bit to release some stress.**_

I looked over to the clock and saw that it's only 7:30 PM.

_**Okay so it's still early. I can go out and have some fun tonight.**_

I backed up all of my files onto my external hard drive and packed up all of my files nice and neat. I knew that if I didn't collect everything and place it in order tonight, I'd just end up tossing it all wily nilly into my briefcase in the morning as I'm usually running out the door so that I'm not late…again.

I then ran down the stairs to my bedroom and went around my bed to reach my closet. I stood in front of it trying to figure out what to wear. I saw the little black dress with the 1" straps that allows me to wear my push-up bra I love so much. The dress is simple in its design but cut to hug all of the curves of my body. It's not too tight, which means I can actually breath in it, but its form fitting enough to see the curves of my hips, the sway of my back, the flatness of my tummy and enough of my cleavage to be considered sexy, not vulgar. The dress is more classy than trashy but shows the little vixen inside.

_**Oh this will be perfect! **_

_**Now what about the shoes?**_

I looked through my massive shoe collection, trying to figure out the right shoe to match. Well since the dress is short, I have no choice but to wear tall heels. So I grabbed my new heels I bought that are a mixture of black paten leather that has the sexy T strap that connects to the ankle strap. The base of the shoe is peach satin. It will go perfectly with my peach wool coat.

_**The combination of my 5.5" heels with my short black dress will make me look like I have legs for miles. A big change from the short 5'2" little thing I am.**_

I walked to my dresser to grab my bottle of Chanel No 5 to complete the transformation. I simply love that fragrance. It makes me feel so elegant, like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Not to mention it was one of my mom's favorite perfumes she wore when I was a little girl. It was one of the few extravagances my mother ever allowed herself.

_**I wonder how mom's doing. God, is she even still alive? I haven't seen her since I was eleven...but she's still a major influence on my life.**_

I pushed back the memory of my mom as I slipped my arms into my peach wool coat and grabbed my black Hermes Birkin bag. The bag is a bit too extravagant for my taste but Alice made me keep it, especially since someone gave it to me as a gift. I normally don't care for such extravagance nor do I normally accept a gift like this, but it was shipped to me as a "thank-you" for a wonderful evening with no return information. Not that I would have taken the money from the cost of the purse. I would have insisted the money be placed back on his credit card, but the truth was...I didn't really remember who gave me the bag.

I ran out of my brownstone located in Brooklyn just two blocks from the East river. I was close enough to the city but far enough from all of the noise. I still need my tranquility at night but love the nightlife from the city.

I flagged down a gypsy cab and told the cabbie to take me to 52nd St and 8th Ave. There was a new nightclub I read about in "Timeout New York" that I wanted to check out. It was supposed to be the hottest place in town with a line going around the block with people trying to get in. Unless you were on the list or famous it wasn't easy getting into the club. I wasn't going to let this fact discourage me.

_**Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If I get in then great, if not then at least I tried. Who knows what the evening will hold for me?**_

I stepped out of the car right in front of the club.

_**Wow, the magazine wasn't kidding when they said the line normally went around the corner. It's too damn cold to stand out here and I don't have all night to be out either. I have an early day tomorrow at the office.**_

So I decided to try my luck and flirt a bit with the bouncer. I opened up my peach wool coat that stops right below my knees. I placed my hands on my hips, exposing the little back dress and showing my petite figure against a peach backdrop.

"Hi. Excuse me, but how long will the wait be to get into the club?"

The security guard had an angry scowl on his face-- an obvious sign of his frustration from the masses asking the same question. He looked down at his clipboard and without even looking up at me...

"If you're not on the list, you'll have to wait in line. The way it looks, you might never…"

He then looked up to see to who exactly was asking. He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw me. A big smile grew across his face as he not-so-subtlety looked me up and down. He eyed me from my pedicured toes, slowly looking up my long legs, scanning the rest of my body, and lingering a bit on my breasts before finally looking me in the face with a grin.

"You know, I think I might be able to sneak you in. I get off at 2:00 AM so I can meet you inside later. A lovely lady like you shouldn't stand out in this cold. Especially one dressed in such a sexy dress like that one."

I smiled in return, happy that I'd gotten into the club and that this security guard was so obviously attracted to me.

"You're so sweet to let me in. I hope I get to show you my gratification by buying you a drink later. I can't thank you enough for your kindness."

"It's my pleasure. Anything for a sexy lady like you."

The security guard unclasped the red velvet rope that was blocking off the front entrance. He escorted me to the hostess that was just inside the door.

"Gianna, she's a personal guest of mine so use one of my comp passes for her."

"Oh, why thank you again. You are so very kind," I said as I ran the tips of my fingers over the center of his firm chest, showing how thankful I was for all that he'd done for me.

The hostess didn't even acknowledge me. She just held out her hand so that she could stamp the back of mine. I thanked her as I walked over to the coat check window.

I stood in the club's doorway, scanning for all that were in attendance. I recognized some of the people from that annoying show TMZ. I didn't ever watch it, but it always seemed to be playing in the break room since that's where that "Negative Nelly" Jessica Stanly was always hanging out. Did she ever do any work?

I shook my head to remove the annoyance and concentrate on the task at hand-- to have some fun and blow off some steam!

I walked in and scanned the room for someone to talk with. I'd never had a problem speaking to strangers. I guess you could say it was little bonus I picked up from being in sales. You need to be confidant and a talker if you wanted to make it in sales, no matter what it was that you sold.

My eyes fell upon a tall blond with tan slacks and a very tight black tee shirt. The seams of the shirt were under stress from the enormous size of the muscles it held underneath. My eyes locked on him. I walked up to this hot stranger as he talked to a guy who was even larger in size.

When I approached the men, I stood between the two.

"Excuse me, but would you like to dance?" I said as I angled my body toward the blond hunk in front of me. The blond stopped talking to look at the person who interrupted his conversation. His hand reached up to his face and scrubbed his chin while he surveyed me. A smile grew across his lips.

"Uh, I normally don't dance but I'll make an exception for you."

"Mm, thank you for making an exception."

I grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor.

_**Oh my goodness! This guy's flipping hot! I wonder how much he can bench press? Better yet I wonder how big his dick is. I might have to find out later.**_

We walked down to the dance floor and started to dance. It's more like dry humping than dancing.

_**I want to see if I can feel how firm his body is pressed up against mine. Mm, he's firm all over.**_

We danced for maybe two songs. I started to get hot in more ways than one. I leaned forward to speak into his ear.

"You know it's a bit stuffy in here. Would you be interested in going somewhere… a bit less crowded?"

"Well, we could always go back to my hotel room."

"That sounds perfect. Would you please get my coat as I go freshen up in the ladies room?" I asked while reaching down to pick up my purse off the dance floor. I handed him the coat check ticket.

"It would be my pleasure," and he emphasized the word pleasure. I smiled at him as I turned to walk to the ladies room. I needed to tidy up before I was alone with this guy...whoever this guy was. As I walked to the ladies room, I walked past a large dispenser. It's filled with condoms that are issued by the city. It's part of a big campaign the city has on promoting safe sex. I reached in and grabbed a few. A girl can never have too many of these, especially with what I had in mind for then next couple of hours.

I walked to the front of the club where I saw the large blond muscle man standing, holding my coat open for me. Slipping my arms into the jacket, I looked up into his eyes and thanked him.

"Shall we leave?" I asked as I looked at him with my eyes saying much more than my simple little words.

"Whatever you want. I'm yours for the evening."

With that we walked out of the club. We walked to the curb where he haled a taxicab. He told the cabbie to take us to the W Hotel in Times Square. After he got the words out of his mouth I leaned in to kiss him.

_**No need for small talk. We both know what was going to happen.**_

After kissing him I pulled back and smiled through a "Mmm, nice."

"Wow. Hi by the way. My name is Riley. What's yours?"

I giggled as I looked at his lips and kissed him again. "Well it's nice to meet you Riley. May I ask what it is that you do for a living?"

"Well, little lady, I'm the quarterback for the Tennessee Titans."

"Oh, so you're a football player then?"

"Yeah, I am. Don't you know who I am?"

"Excuse me but no. I'm not much into football but I have to say I'm very interested in you right now." With that I leaned in and kissed him senseless. The cab stopped in front of the hotel, but we were both too busy to realize it. The cab driver cleared his throat and informed us that the fare was $10.75. Riley pulled out his wallet and grabbed a fifty-dollar bill, handing it to the cabbie and saying "Keep the change."

"Mm, so generous. Are you that generous in bed?"

"Well you're about to find out."

Riley stepped out of the cab first and held out his hand for me. I placed my hand into his as I reached back to pull my purse from the cab. He tried to help me out, but my purse got hooked onto the seatbelt. I reached in to help release my purse and Riley leaned down to kiss my neck. I got my purse free and he pulled me to him. I was completely distracted by this hunk of beef that was licking my neck. He then escorted me up to his room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The clock turned 6:00 AM on the cable box that was sitting on the TV. A loud pulsating noise wailed and vibrated in the corner of the room, breaking the silence.

Riley's naked body stirred in the bed next to me and he exclaimed "What the fuck is that noise? Turn that shit off. Fuck!"

My small petite self was sleeping next to the big "muscle-on-top-of-muscle" man. I lifted my head to look at the clock next to the bed.

"Oh crap it's already 6:00 AM! Where's my purse? I've gotta go!" I said as I untangled myself from the sheets and Riley's naked arms. I stood up to walk a few steps to reach my purse, which held the source of the offensive noisemaker. I reached in to grab my cell phone and shut off the alarm.

"Hey baby, where do you think you're going? Come back to bed. Or better yet, why don't you take care of this morning wood I have here?"

"Mmm, as much as the thought of taking care of that stunning hard on you have there, I'll have to pass. I've got to get to the office by 8:30. Sorry, sexy. I've gotta go."

"Go? Oh come on and take care of this with me. We had so much fun last night, baby. Let's have more fun."

I started to grab my scattered clothing and get dressed as Riley walked up to me and placed his large hands on my small curvy hips.

"Oh baby you're going to leave me? Will you give me your number? I'd like to see you again the next time I'm in town. Hey baby, what was your name again?"

"Does my name really matter?" I giggled as I wrapped my hand around his thick, swollen member. Pumping my small hand, I tilted my head back and stood on my tiptoes to kiss this glorious specimen of a man.

"Uh, baby it would be nice to know what to call you when I give you a call the next time I'm in town."

"Riley, if the Titans make it to the playoffs against the Jets or the Giants, I'll meet you at the same bar I met you at tonight. I'll give you a celebratory blow job that will guarantee you winning the series."

"Baby you're not going to give me your name or your number?"

A wicked playful smile appeared on my face as I watched Riley get really turned on by me as my hand still pumped his hardening cock. My petite hands were so small wrapped around his thick cock that my fingers barely wrapped around him.

"You got a night of fun and I got what I wanted. Why pretend that you'll ever call me? Even if you gave me your number, I sure as hell wouldn't call you."

Riley grabbed me by the hips and lifted me up to carry me back to the bed.

"Well give me a proper farewell gift before you go."

"Ugh… I can't. I have to get into the office. But I had fun."

I walked over to the slacks that were tossed onto the floor, reaching into the back pocket to pull out Riley's wallet. I opened up the wallet, pulled out $40 in cash, and tossed it to the aroused naked football player lying on the bed, stroking his enlarged penis.

"Thanks for the cab money," I said.

"You are one ballsy fucking hot woman. What I would give to have your sweet lips wrapped around my fucking cock right now. Forget the cab baby. I'll buy you a car. You've got the most fucking awesome lips and give the best fucking blowjobs I have ever had. Come on baby give me your name and number? I'll buy you a fur coat the next time I'm in town. Tell me what I need to do to get you to suck me off again baby."

At this point I was completely dressed except for one shoe. Then I saw the other shoe under the bed. I reached down to pick it up and stood on one foot to slip the high heel on. Looking at Riley naked on the bed masturbating, I licked my lips-- an obvious sign of arousal.

"Riley, you were great last night. But Alice is going to kill me if I'm late to work. Good luck with the rest of the season."

With that I slipped through and closed the door behind me. I grabbed my sunglasses and slipped them on in the hallway as I buttoned my coat closed. Hiding the sexy black cocktail dress from the night before, I tried to hide the notorious "morning after" walk of shame. But there was no shame in it for me. We both got what we wanted.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The taxicab pulled up in front of my brownstone at 6:29 AM. I promised the cabbie a $20 tip if he got me to my brownstone in Brooklyn before 6:30 AM. I thanked him while taking the receipt. I ran up the small flight of stairs to enter through the parlor, tossed my jacket next to my red briefcase, and placed my purse next to it.

_**Knew I'd be grabbing them all as I ran out the door to work.**_

While taking my shower, I went over the details of the day to come. I knew Alice would be expecting me to have my presentation binder almost finished so that she could send it off to printing on 23rd Street.

Alice and I have been friends since I was forced to live in Forks, Washington with my father when I was eleven. She was the first person to approach me in the schoolyard.

Alice was the only bright spot in my life at that time. Seeing my parents break up the way they did was traumatic.

I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to get the memory of that event out and focused on Alice. The hot water vibrated through my body. She was always my voice of reason. You know when you have that little voice that talks in your head saying you're doing the wrong thing? Yeah, well my little voice was Alice. She always was like a sister to me. Including the annoying parts, too.

We grew up together in Forks-- a miserable wet town that received the most amount of rain in the entire continental United States. My father was a truck driver down in Los Angeles, CA and took the job as a police officer when a buddy of his got promoted to Chief of Police in Forks. After we moved, I never saw my mother again.

I was a quiet, too skinny, insecure little girl. My long stringy frizzy hair wouldn't be controlled in the damp weather. The huge overbite I had made me look like a cartoon character, but Alice saw through the rough exterior and wouldn't stop talking to me until I gave in. That little girl sure as heck knew how to talk. My mom would have called her a motor mouth. I wish my mom could have met Alice.

She instantly knew that we would be the best of friends the first time she saw me, even though I tried to avoid her. She always had these feelings, and they would come true. Fourteen years later...and we're still best friends. I guess the pixie was right on that point.

Before graduating Forks High, I got accepted into USC on a full academic scholarship, something my father strongly disagreed with. I had to hide the application from him or else he would have thrown it into the fireplace. He wanted me to go to Community College in Port Angeles so I would stay home to cook his dinners, clean the house and do all the domestic chores he already had me doing. The man never lifted a finger to help around the house. I was so thankful when I got the acceptance letter in the mail the day after I turned 18. The best birthday present a girl could ever hope for, I can tell you. I would get an education and freedom from the oppression dealt to me by my father. I was an adult and no matter what my father tried to do, he legally couldn't force me to do anything anymore.

Alice also applied to USC for their drama department. In fact, she only applied for schools in Southern California. She said she just knew that's where our lives would lead us and that one of us would be a big star. Since I was a business major, that left Alice to be the star.

As I finished rinsing my hair, I looked at the clock in the shower and saw that it was 6:53 AM. I turned off the water, quickly dried off and wrapped my hair up in the towel. I grabbed my little rose colored robe and walked into my room to grab an outfit. This day it was my pastel mint suite. It was modest, very modest in my book. The pencil skirt went down to my knees but had a slit on one side in the front that went to the center of my thigh. The blazer was tailored to fit me just right. I didn't spend a lot of money on my clothes but rather invested in getting them altered to fit me. There was no need in spending $1,000 on a suit when you could spend $50 on a suit and pay an extra $30 for it to be altered. It made the suit look like it cost 100 times more.

I set the suit to the side and worked on my make-up and hair.

At 7:40 AM I grabbed my bags and coat while running out the door with half a bagel in my mouth and a cup of coffee in hand. I had 50 minutes to get to work when it takes me 45 minutes to get there, if I catch the next train on time. I could make it but would have to walk double time to the subway.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

In a Midtown Manhattan office building, a pixie-like figure paced back and forth down a row of cubicles. She looked at her watch for the hundredth time in less than ten minutes.

"Damn it! Where is she?! It's 8:27 and she better not be late! I can't believe this."

"Gees Alice, take a chill pill. I'm here and it's not even 8:30 yet. Don't get your panties all in a bunch."

"It's about time! We have to get this sales proposal completed BEFORE the end of the day to have management sign off BEFORE your big client meeting tomorrow. Wait, what time did you come home last night? How much sleep did you get?"

I placed my purse, red briefcase, and empty travel mug onto my desk and took off my sunglasses. I slipped out of my peach wool coat, exposing my teal two-piece suit. As I hung my coat up, I looked at Alice with a hint of annoyance.

_**Crap. I knew she was going to slam me for this.**_

"I got in this morning at around 6:30 AM. I didn't get much sleep last night."

Alice placed her hands on her hips and looks up into my face with annoyance. "Who were you with this time? Another politician? Baseball player? A construction worker? What? Bella I can't believe you went out last night knowing how important today is!"

In seconds, a wicked smile replaced the previous scowl. "So tell me everything! Was he good in bed?"

"His name was Riley Something-or-other. He's a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, if you MUST know. But that's all I'm going to tell you."

With hearing the football player's name, Alice picked up that morning's copy of the New York Post and turned to the entertainment page. She handed the paper to me.

"I should have guessed you were the mysterious lady seen entering the W Hotel with Riley the QUATERBACK for the Titans last night! I can't figure out how you meet all of these famous men."

"Are you kidding me? I'm in the paper again? Damn it! Do you think anyone from the office figured out it was me in the picture?"

"I don't think so. You can't see your face but I recognized your coat and purse. That's how I figured it was you, but I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt that you would have been a good girl for once and stayed home to get some rest for today. You better pound that cup of coffee and I'll go put on another pot. You're going to need all the caffeine you can get."

Alice started toward the break room when two young women turned down the same row of cubicles we were in. Alice stopped and looked up into Jessica and Lauren's faces.

"What do you want Jessica?"

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to talk with Bella. Nothing that concerns you."

Interjecting, I blurted out "What do you want Stanley? I don't have time for whatever you have."

"I just had a question on something I saw in the Post this morning. You see Lauren and I disagree on if it was you on page 6. Lauren thinks it's you but how could it possibly be? How would you land a date with a famous football player?"

"What I do in my life is my own and not for you to gossip about. Lauren, let me look at that picture."

I grabbed the paper out of her hands. I didn't care if I was rude to her. She deserved much worse.

"This girl is way taller than me. Not like it's any of your business anyways. Don't you two have better things to do than concoct ridiculous rumors?"

"You see Lauren? I told you it wasn't her."

"Jess, I know bags. And she's got the same purse Bella has. I know a Hermes Birkin that was auctioned at Doyle's New York Auction for $64,800 and it's the same bag Bella has. So Bella, tell me how you met Riley Xavier?"

"Lauren, anyone can own the same bag," Jessica retorted. "It's just a coincidence. Bet Bella's is a knock-off anyways."

Alice shot out, "Jessica & Lauren please leave Bella alone. We have the Black proposal to finish today, so please leave. No one wants to listen to you ramble on. So unless you have something constructive to say or offer in regards to the Black proposal, then go back to your side of the building where you belong."

"Fine, Alice. I'll leave. I knew Bella couldn't land a famous football player."

With that said, Jessica and Lauren walked away, leaving Alice & I alone on the floor.

"That was close Bella. You know that scank will do anything to get back at you for getting promoted before her."

"Alice, I can't help it. Please just go ahead and make that pot of coffee and I'll start working. I'm confident all things will work out in the end. Positive projecting...just like you taught me to."

"Well positively project your butt not getting caught again," Alice answered and turned away from me.

That was close. I don't know how I let myself get photographed. And Alice is right. Jessica's been after me since I was promoted only six months after getting hired. I know she wanted that position for a while. She even gave Stefan, Eleazar's assistant, a blow job in hopes of Stefan talking our boss in choosing her for the promotion. How the hell Jess could stand touching that Romanian old coot stumped me. Stefan was short and much older than the rest of us, with hair so ashy blond that it looked pale gray. I'm guessing he was using the cheap 5-minute hair color for men that you pick up at the drug store.

I don't know why I went out last night. I knew I had to be in the office early. I just needed to blow off some steam. The Black Inc. proposal is huge, and I knew the senior executives were counting on me to bring in this account. It's been on the target board for the past five years. Every single Senior Account Executive in New York City had tried to get an appointment to meet with Mr. Black, without success. I was only able to meet Bill Black because I befriended his son Jacob.

"Bella? Earth to Bella; come in Bella."

"Oh sorry, Alice. I was thinking about Mr. Black."

"Are you sure you weren't thinking about his son Jacob?"

"Well, I was thinking of them both, but not like that. Come on, Alice. Give me more credit."

"I know. I was just teasing you. Have you started on the research yet? Were you able to go over any numbers yet?"

"Before I went out last night I did some research on Bill Black and Black Inc. I've found some interesting information on the history of the company and some interesting stuff about Mr. Black himself. I think I've figured out the angle in how to approach Mr. Black. I may have gotten him to agree to meet with me and the bank but we don't have his accounts yet."

"I have full faith in you Bella. You are a beautiful, talented and dedicated Account Executive. You will land this account. I just know it."

"Is that you visualizing a positive outcome...or are you seeing the future outcome?"

"Does it make a difference? Sending out positive energy to the universe never hurts."

"That's true Alice but you have an uncanny ability of predicting things. It's like you can see the future."

"No one can see the future, silly! Now give me your travel mug and I'll refill it for you before the boys get into the office."

"Thanks. How did I get so lucky in having you as a friend?"

Alice rolled her eyes at my comment as she walked down the hall to the break room.


	3. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:**

Please excuse the long delay in updating DBD but life interrupted. Part of the delay was due to TheMB_ my Beta Beauty having to leave me due to other obligations. Getting a higher education is far more important. I'd like to thank my new Beta OhEdward for helping out.

I will continue to update the FanFiction (dot) net web site but due to many of the stories being removed for content, I will also post the story on Live Journal under the author name H_2_B

I will do my best to upload another chapter at the end of this week with a goal to update weekly from this point on. I've missed my Dark Bella and I long for my Edward to join the story.

If you would like to follow Dark Bella, she has a twitter account under Dark_Bella_ . I must warn you, she speaks her mind so please be 18 or older if you are in the US.

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight but not how my twisted little mind came up with this version.

**Darkest Before the Dawn**

**Written by: Hollywood2Brooklyn**

**Chapter Two**

**BPOV**

I had spent most of the day at my desk working and drinking a half a pot of coffee. Alice kept filling my cup to keep me going. I don't think I ever saw the bottom of the mug the entire day. That pixie was bound and determined to get the proposal completed in time for Eleazar to approve.

I had to admit Riley sure as heck took it out of me last night. There's something to be said about having wild sex with a primed athlete. He was made for endurance. I think I had a solid 3 orgasms from our encounter. The hottest part of the evening was when he rolled me on top of him. He had me bring my knees up to my chin while he basically bench pressed my body as he slid in and out of me all under his own arm strength. God that was fucking hot.

_**FOCUS! Back to work Bella!**_

I was basically done with the proposal Sunday night before I went out, but I wanted to double check all of my numbers before I gave them to Alice to plug into the graph and pie charts. I wasn't going to hold anything back to land the Black account.

I turned all of the numbers over to Alice as I wrote up my pre-call plan sheet with all of the questions I wanted to ask at the meeting. Sometimes on a smaller account, I would just ask questions on the fly but there were key points and questions I needed to make sure were asked. I knew a couple of questions I had about Bill Blacks philanthropy would essentially land me the deal. If I could just get Mr. Black to bite on that part of my presentation, it would lead to the deal getting closed.

As I finished the spell check on the pre-call plan sheets, I printed it off as Alice walked up to my desk and said...

"Are you about done with your pre-call plan sheets? What about your notes going over the key points of the proposal with Eleazar?"

"I finished my notes thirty minutes ago and I just printed off my pre-call sheets. What about you? Did you get the pie charts completed? How close are we to printing off the test proposal to show Eleazar?"

"I'm finished. All I need to do is take it over to the supply room and bind it together. It looks like we're ready for Eleazar. I'll call Stephan to see if Eleazar has time to see you right now."

"Don't worry about it Alice. I'll call while you finish up in the supply room. I'll bite the bullet this time."

"Thanks. He is just so… so… so slimy!"

Stephan was difficult to deal with before. He was a dirty pervert who would make your skin crawl with his passing glance. You could just see it in his eyes that he was mentally undressing you. But since Stanley blew him in an attempt to land a promotion, he actually thought he had a chance with nailing every female under the age of 40.

I called Stephan's extension and it went to voicemail. I internally took a sigh of relief that he didn't pick up the phone. That guy gave me the creeps like no other. When I'm around him I could sense his eyes lingered over my body. I could just imagine the thoughts that went through his head. I'm repulsed knowing that he's pictured me naked while doing awful things to me.

I mentally blocked out the foul thoughts and swallowed hard to push back the bile that had rose up my throat. Stephan didn't harass me as much as he did poor Alice. I think Stephan was afraid to say or do anything to me. Especially since our boss Elezar was so close to me. That and I threatened to snap his translucent hand off and shove it into his mouth when he got a bit too tipsy feely at a company party.

It was our department's annual holiday party. Our department always had the largest, most extravagant parties. Since we were the most lucrative department in the company, they gave us a larger budget than the other departments. This year a few departments joined us in our party at the Rainbow Room located at the top of Rockefeller building.

The food was divine. We had an open bar and the run of the restaurant it seemed. At every turn there were people walking around with trays of Hors D'Oeuvres. Cremini mushrooms stuffed with herbed goat cheese topped with pancetta, chestnuts wrapped in crispy bacon on a leaf of endive drizzled with rosemary olive oil, miniature beef Wellingtons with little bites of beef wrapped in puffed pastry along with bottles and bottles of wine being passed around with a never ending supply. This was New York City's gluttony at its most decadent.

I was walking the room feeling out the vibe of the attendees trying to decide whom to talk with when my boss Elezar called me over to meet Garrett Flay, the president of underwriting on Commercial Lending.

"Bella! Here she is. The little star of my team I was telling you about. Bella, I'd like to introduce you to Garrett from Commercial Lending. This one here helped push our numbers this year to the highest it's ever been since the 80's."

I turned red immediately over the praise. I've always had problems accepting a compliment. Something I'd been working on but hadn't mastered. I extended my hand to shake Garrett's. I smiled, looked him directly in the eye and shook firmly but not too hard, something I learned from reading the multiple sales skill books I read constantly to improve my skills.

"Yes, Bella I've seen a few of your applications come across my desk. You've signed a few sizable deals and you've come up with very creative ways in finding collateral. I tip my hat to you."

"Thank you for your team approving so many of my applications."

"Garrett I have plans for this one and with your departments help, I can see great things to come in the future," Elezar continued to beam as he spoke about me.

"I'll see what I can do Elezar. As long as her deals are close to the criteria, I think we could arrange something. "

At this time a waiter approached the three of us and asked if we would like something from the bar. Both Elezar and Garrett ordered 25-year-old single malt scotch. I don't really drink but I knew it was expected of me to drink at functions like this; I was aware of this unspoken protocol but was never comfortable with it. I wracked my brain to think quickly on a drink I could sip and stomach. I remembered taking a sip of a drink Alice had at brunch last week. It was, what was it called…

"Bellini! Excuse me. I'd like a Bellini please."

I said this to the waiter as my face turned red from embracement of shouting out my order. I looked at the waiter and saw him smile. Wow, he was a hottie.

"Yes miss. I believe we can fill that order for you."

I smiled and thanked him as he walked away. I turned my head to watch him and noticed that he had a mighty fine booty to go with that sweet smile of his. I was smiling as I turned to look back at Elezar & Garrett.

The two men were holding a conversation with me chiming in a bit. Just because it was easy for me to talk with people didn't mean I was comfortable doing so. A strange conundrum I guess. Schmoozing with upper management always made me self-conscious.

A few minutes later the hot waiter came around with our drinks. He handed the Bellini to me first then the other two drinks to the gentlemen.

"May I say miss, you have made an excellent beverage choice this evening. Our establishment is known for our Bellini's. They are made from freshly juiced peaches that are grown on orchards located in Long Island."

His sparkling blue eyes looked deeply into mine as he told me this. I smiled back at him as I took a sip from the champagne flute. The sparkling sweet mixture was delightful to partake.

"Thank you. Please give my compliments to the bartender. This is an excellent drink. The best I have ever had."

"This bartender thanks you. I made the drink especially for you."

He turned and walked away. I was lost in thought when I heard my name being called.

"Bella, Bella. You're off on another planet. Would you like to share?"

"Oh excuse me gentleman. I was thinking about the origin of the drink. I guess you can say my mind was off to Italy."

_**Yes, I think he was Italian. Damn he was hot**__._

"This is part of the reason why this girl is so great at what she does. She's always looking at things from different angles."

"Gentlemen, would you please excuse me. I must freshen up before they serve dinner."

I walked away heading toward the ladies room. On my way down the hall I passed the waiter again. We say nothing, but we both look into each other's eyes as we pass with a smile on both of our faces.

I reached the ladies room to wash my hands. I waited around until no one was at the sinks to pour out most of my drink down the drain. I hated to waste food or drink but I knew there would be more alcohol pushed upon me. No one needed to know that I wasn't really drinking it. The appearance was all I needed. Plus it would give me a reason to talk to that hunky waiter again.

I grabbed a paper towel to clean up the side of the glass and checked my make-up before I headed out.

I walked back to the hall and saw everyone in deep conversation with the occasional laugh. My feet were killing me from standing in 4" heels for the past few hours chitchatting. I decided to take a moment to sneak past into the room where dinner would eventually be served. I sat down for a moment to look out the window where the sun just started to dip down in the sky. The New York City skyline blazed with deep gold's shining off the windows of the skyscrapers as the sky turned purple, the perfect NYC post card. My attention was taken away from looking out the window when I heard the door open behind me. I turned to look who it was and to my dismay, it was Stephan…………………… obviously drunk.

"My, my, my dear Bella. It looks like we're alone. How pleasant."

"Hello Stephan. I stepped in to take a moment to be alone."

"You shouldn't be alone on this festive day. I will be more than happy to keep you company,"

With him saying that, he took a seat next to me. He placed his hand on my knee and tried to lean in to kiss me. Fury and anger flashed across my face. Without even thinking I reached down with one hand grabbing his wrist as the other hand grabed his thumb and pulled his thumb at an unnatural angle which caused pain to go from his finger up to his neck. If he tried to pull way or push me to break my hold, I would have dislocated his thumb, dislocated his wrist and ripped several of his tendons.

Stephan started to gasp for air as the pain took his breath away. I pulled his wrist further back so that I could lean into him and look into his eyes.

"No man touches me without my permission. I don't give a shit who you are AND I will rip every single finger off your hand that touches me. Is that understood?"

Stephan couldn't answer me. All he could do is whimper as tears started to form in his eyes. He shook his head yes with visible pain all over his face. As I let go Stephan fell out of his chair and looked at me with sheer fear. He stumbled to his feet in an attempt to stand up. He tried to get out while walking backwards. He was too afraid to turn his back to me. As he reached the door, with a shaken voice he says I'm sorry as he rushed out the door.

As the door closed behind him, I realized what I had just done. I exhaled deeply with the realization that I physically harmed a co-worker. I physically harmed my boss's assistant no less. I could get fired for this if Stephan filed a formal complaint to Human Resources. I mean I was within my right to do so since he was making unwanted sexual advances toward me but, this was such a gray area since we weren't at work; it wasn't on company property but it was a company-sponsored function.

I chewed on my lip and I quickly went over all of the options I had. I decided that it would be best to not say or do anything. To see how things played out. Stephan was so intoxicated he might not even remember me threatening to have snapped his fingers off.

I stood up, brushed by dress to smooth out the wrinkles and took a large sip of the Bellini, emptying out the glass. I exhaled deeply as I reached for the handle to push the door open but the door opened before I reached the knob. To my amazement the hot waiter was standing in front of me with a look of concern on his face.

I took a step back as I was startled. I took a defensive posture as I was still on edge from dealing with Stephan.

"Woh, woh there! I was just checking the room after seeing that powdery pale guy leaving the room holding his hand. I though he might have been mugged or something."

"Oh my! I'm, I'm sorry. That was someone who got a bit too touchy. Please forgive me. Um, excuse me please."

I said this as I tried to walk out the door obviously embarrassed by the entire event. As I stepped through the door the waiter spoke out.

"Hey, it's okay. Why don't you take a moment to cool off before you go back to the party? The room down the hall is empty. Why don't you relax in there for a moment & I'll bring you another Bellini."

"Thank you but please, would you bring me a ginger ale instead? And thank you."

We walked down the hall and the waiter opened the door to the empty room for me. He walked in after me and pulled out a couple of chairs down from the stacks lined up against the back wall. He placed the chairs side by side at and at a slight angle.

"Here you go. No one will bother you here. All of the rooms in this part of the wing are vacant. Your company wanted the floor to themselves. You work for some big spenders."

"It's a good place to work at. They take care of their employees. Thanks for letting me use the room. It can be a bit much dealing with all of them at once. Especially when a few of them start to drink."

"I'll be right back with your ginger ale. May I bring you anything else?""

"Maybe a couple of paper napkins or tissues would be nice. If that's not too much to ask?" I stammered out, feeling relieved that I could take a few minutes to regroup.

"It would be my pleasure. I'll be right back"

With that, the handsome waiter walked out leaving me alone in the low-lit room. I sat down in one of the chairs and just slumped over with my head in my hands. Closing my eyes and trying to empty out all the scenes playing in my head of Stephan trying to kiss me and the vision of being called down into the HR manager's office. I was finally able to clear my head and took a few deep cleansing breaths. Calming myself to deal with what ever came of the remainder of the evening.

_**Okay, Bella. What ever happens, happens. There's nothing you can do now so just make the best of the rest of the evening. Stephan's probably too drunk to remember it so no need for that scum bucket to ruin the evening. **_

At the same time the waiter came in holding a tray with a glass of ice, a chilled can of ginger ale and a stack of napkins. I was smiling as I was really happy to see him walk in. He was such a nice guy and not bad to look at either.

"Here you go miss. Shall I pour it into the glass for you?"

"No, no thank you. I would much rather just drink from the can if you don't mind. I'm a bit of a heathen that way lol. Thanks again. Hi, I'm Bella by the way."

"Hi Bella, I'm Jared. Are you okay? You looked like you were going to go all Fight Club on me," he said as his eyes danced with mischief.

I smiled and immediately turned as red as the lipstick I was wearing. Jared sat in the other chair next to me. I turned to look at him as I spoke,

"Sorry about that. That… that creep of a co-worker tried to kiss me so I bent his thumb. I thought it might have been him when you opened the door."

"It seems like it was a lucky thing he didn't come back. You looked like you could have ripped his limbs off and burned them."

"Sometimes my instincts take over. I wasn't thinking - obviously. You are a very kind person Jared."

"It's easy to be kind to such a lovely lady."

"I must reward my knight in shining armor."

I leaned in and kissed Jared on the cheek. As I started to pull back, I looked into his eyes. They were kind eyes. I leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. He didn't move until I started to pull back. He placed his hand on the small of my back and brought me back to him as his lips found mine as he returned the kiss. I leaned into him even more as our kiss turned feverish.

I wrapped my arms around him as he pulled me closer. He wrapped his arms around me, tightening as his tongue slipped in between my lips. A moan escaped from me as he licked my lips then he moved his mouth down to kiss my face.

I opened my mouth as I gasped for air. My head was spinning from lust. My hands moved over his shirt feeling his body that was hidden beneath. His back was firm and strong. I wanted to feel more of him so I hitched my leg over his so that I could straddle him and press my body up against his. His mouth was on my neck after I moved to sit on his lap. He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me down firmly onto him. I could feel his enlarged pants pressed firmly into my self. I took in a quick breath that was audible to Jared and he let out a groan from his mouth that was placed on my neck as his lips pressed into my flesh with him then licking around the spots he just kissed.

My center is getting so hot with Jared moving my hips back and forth grinding into him. The friction causes my panties tugging back and forth applying pressure onto my clit. I pull away as my back arched and a loud moan reverberates throughout the room. I lift up my legs that were dangling at Jared's sides and place my feet on the chair on either side of him. This caused my tiny thong to slip between my lips and apply hard pressure onto my swollen clit. Another loud groan leaves my body and I started to join Jared in the grinding.

His lips trailed down my neck to the top of my chest. His tongue danced across my flesh, I took my hand and slipped the sleeve off of my shoulder and pulled the strap to my bra along with it exposing my small round breast.

Jared's mouth moved faster down my chest to reach my exposed breast. His hungry mouth took in my nipple sucking hard making my head fly forward as I grunted out "fuck yeah!"

Jared smiled as his teeth bit down on my nipple causing cascading waves to ripple through my body. Jared thrust hard into my wet center. He slid his hands under my flowing dress to cup his hands on my bare ass. I linked my legs together to keep me positioned over his throbbing hard dick as I grinded into him.

He reached down putting at the material of my dress to move it out of the way. He finally exposed my little black thong and worked his finger to get under the material to find my hot wet center.

"Fuck. Me. You. Are. So. Wet."

He said as he slipped his middle finger into my swollen wetness. That feelt so good but I wanted more so I brought my mouth next to his ear and in a heavy breathed voice I said, "I want you inside of me. NOW"

I didn't need to ask twice. I stood up for him to undo his belt and pants while I reached into my black purse to grab my red goody bag. A little red velvet bag that I always carried with me that was filled with an assortment of flavored condoms, different sized condoms, assortment of lubes, feminine wipes and an extra pair of panties. In another pocket in my purse I carried a travel toothbrush with a tube of toothpaste. Always ready for a romp.

Jared tugged at his pants and exposed his throbbing enlarged manhood. I sized him up to be about a solid six inches so I grabbed the Trojan Ribbed knowing the size of the condom would fit just fine. I motioned Jared to sit back down thinking quickly if I wanted to give him a blowjob or just get to it. No, I think I'll be selfish and just get it going so I knelt before him with the condom in my hand. I looked down at his throbbing manhood as his hand started to pump. I licked my lips as I ripped the wrapper off. I grabbed him at the base of the head as I placed the condom on top of his bright purple head. I pull down on the condom gently and rolled it down to the base. I stood up then took off my black panties, lifted my dress and straddled him as he helped guide me onto him.

The head of his penis pressed against me. I opened myself up a bit for him as Jared slowly pushed himself into me as I lowered myself. Electricity flows through my body as lust grew. I straddle Jared as his hands rest on my hips. He thrusts himself into me. He grunted and groaned with every thrust. I wanted more. I wanted him deeper so I put my feet on either side of him on the chair. I grab the back of the chair to give myself leverage. I took over and start to rhythmically bounce up and down onto him.

"Oh yeah sexy. That feels so fucking good."

I shifted my hips to change the angle Jared was hitting inside of me. Thrusting him to hit deeper into my core. To cause deep heated friction at the right spot. I groaned as Jared joined in with the rhythmic thrusts. The pressure continually building up inside of me and I couldn't keep the rhythm consistent. I fought back a scream that was building up as I clinched down hard onto Jared as a shockwave of pleasure erupts from my body. I gasped for air and almost slipped off of Jared but he clinched tightly onto my hips to keep me steady.

Jared thrusts also become more frantic as I'm coming down from my climax as he reached his. He pushed me down harder and harder onto him as he exploded into me with his seeds securely contained from the latex that surrounded him. I rested my head onto his shoulder as he pants deeply into my ear that stirred my hair. I just sat there while I regained my breath.

After a few silent moments, I lifted up my head and looked Jared in the eyes.

"Thank you, I feel so much better now. I enjoy the full service this establishment offers," I said as we both chuckled.

"I don't know about the services of the restaurant but this was a first for me. I've never been with a customer of the restaurant before. Most of the women who come here are either blue haired old women or here with their husbands."

"Well you made coming to this party enjoyable."

I stood up making sure not to spill the contents contained. He easily slipped out. I went to his tray and grabbed a few of the napkins Jared brought in for me and handed it to him. I pulled up the strap of my bra and adjusted my breasts to look their fullest then I pulled up the sleeve of my dress. I walked over to pick up my panties and purse that were next to where Jared stood adjusting himself to get back into his uniform.

As I grabbed my belongings I stood in front of Jared to look at him.

"Thank you for making me feel better."

"I'd like to say any time. Am I ever going to see you again?"

"That might be arranged. I know where you work and you know where I work. Which reminds me. I need to get back to the others before I'm missed but I need to tidy up a bit. I'll see you later?"

With that said, I walked toward the ladies room leaving Jared in the room to remove any signs of our extracurricular activities.

After I hung the phone up from dialing Stephan, I walked over to the ladies room to freshen up a bit. I was worried I looked a bit worse for wear from the night before and sitting at my desk working all day. It was only 1:45 PM but I'd been working non stop for over five hours. Drinking uncountable amounts of coffee, after having wild unbounded sex and only having less than 3 hours of sleep, you look a bit ridden. Or that's how I was afraid I looked.

I moisten a few paper towels in hot water to rest upon my face. I wiped up the make-up I just smudged and reapplied.

_**There, I look good as new.**_

I also brushed my teeth and hair. Vain, I know but I felt more confident if my appearance looked good. Since college, I tied my confidence in with my appearance, my slim weight, and stylish clothes ext. This is a pitfall from reading too many Vogue or Cosmopolitan magazines and dating someone who put so much emphasis on appearance.

As I left the restroom I walked toward the supply room where all of the copier supplies were held and where Alice should still be. She was cleaning up the confetti after using the spiral binder.

"Hey, how did it come out?" I said as I chewed on my bottom lip a bit nervous over the outcome of months worth of work being held by a small navy blue plastic spiral bound notebook.

"It's done! Bella, this looks really good. I mean not just really good but REALLY GOOD. This might be the best presentation I've ever helped you with. I have a strong feeling about this deal Bella. I can see Mr. Black signing the contract with the bank."

"Positive projection or a vision there Premonition Pixie?" I questioned her, not sure if she was just trying to pad my ego.

Alice rolled her eyes at me like she usually did when I called her Premonition Pixie. A nickname I new irked her but still loved to call her.

"Does it matter? Bella, I think Elezar's going to say the same thing once he sees this. Oh, when did Stephan say you could meet with Elezar? I hope it's before 2:30 PM since I'd like to send in the final copy to printing on 23rd St. I'd like to have the books on your desk by 5 PM today."

"You know printing is open 24 hours and I'm not leaving for the meeting tomorrow until 10 AM. We have plenty of time before the meeting."

"I know but I still want it completed before the day is done. That way I won't have to think and worry about it all night."

"Are you going to leave it sitting on my desk over night? I'm surprised. Thought you leave it with an armored guard service so Jessica couldn't possibly sabotage the presentation?"

"Oh good point! I'll lock it up in the goody locker outside Elezar's office. "Stankley" isn't laying one single finger on this proposal. She'll either try to take credit or it will shrivel up and turn to dust from her touch."

"Goodness Alice! A bit feisty today aren't you?"

"I don't trust her since she tried that steeling stunt with the Nomad Associates."

"That's fair. Oh and Stephan didn't pick up when I called so once you hand over that little gem there, I'll walk over to his office. Maybe he'll be able to see me immediately."

"You'll make Elezar proud with this one."

"Thanks Alice."

As my face turned red I took the folder along with my notes to Elezar's office.

Elezar was originally from Málaga, Spain. He had jet-black hair that was slicked back with streaks of silver mingled in with patches of silver/white at the temples. A very handsome man for his age but to me he was like the father I wished I had.

I would do anything for him. There was nothing sexual between us. He was just the type of manager that you would walk to the ends of the earth for to make him proud. He gave guidance that made you succeed. He had this presence about him that when you were in the same room with him, you could feel his power.

I guess you could say Elezar was our king and we in the court wanted nothing more than to make him proud in hopes to receive his good tidings. He was a great inspirational coach. I don't know how else to explain it. There are only a handful of great leaders in this world and I was blessed with working for one of the best.

I walked around the corner and saw Stephan's desk empty and the door to Elezar's office was open. I smoothed down my mint colored skirt, tugged down my shirt and stood up straight. I walked toward the open door and knocked lightly. Not wanting to be rude like some of my co-workers who frequently would just barge in no matter if he was sitting with another team member.

"Excuse me Elezar. I called Stephan's extension but I see that he's away from his desk. Do you have time to go over the Black presentation?"

"Bella, Bella yes of course! I've been looking forward to this all day. Please sit down."

I sat down in front of Elezar's large dark cherry wood desk. Biting my lower lip a bit, I had nothing to fear from Elezar except for his possible disappointment in my work.

I handed Elezar my proposal and pre-call plan sheets.

"Alice and I just finished the proposal a few minutes ago. We've been working on it for a few weeks. I think you'll be pleased."

Elezar quickly glanced over my notes before he stopped and looked up at me.

"Alice helped you with this during the entire few weeks? That's interesting, since my youngest daughter saw Alice at the Little Night Music auditions last week, at both the open call and at the call backs?"

"Alice scheduled her lunches around so she could take that time for the auditions. I continued to work on the project in between client meetings."

"I know Alice takes a couple of hours off here and there for auditions. My youngest tells me when she sees her. Not that she spies for me of course. You know she admires Alice's talent."

"I assure you sir, Alice works more than her allotted 40 hours per week. She, I mean we - would never short you or the company."

"Bella, it's fine. As long as you keep your numbers up and her audition schedule doesn't affect her level of service to your portfolio, I'm fine with her flexible work schedule.

You two are an amazing team. I see how you two interact. Sometimes it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. It's an unconventional partnership but what ever works for you is fine. I have full faith in your judgment."

"Thank you and I hope you feel the same after you've evaluated my proposal."

"I have to admit Bella, this is a very good presentation. The only point I have a concern with is that you'll be attending the appointment on your own. I would much rather be there with you with such an important prospect for the bank."

"I know you would prefer to be there with me, including the full team but this is how Mr. Black wants the presentation handled. He's agreed to meet with only me at this point in time. Knowing how important this first meeting is, I don't want to do anything that might jeopardize the fragile relationship the bank has with the Black Corporation."

"I know you did your best and look how far it has taken you. The first person from the bank to have a real face-to-face meeting with the Black Corporation is no small step, young lady. I would just want to hold a full force meeting with Bill Black to let him know his business is important to every department in our organization. But I have full faith in you closing the deal in no time at all."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence. You have no idea how much that means to me. Do you have any questions or comments on my notes or presentation?"

"You have done a very thorough job Bella. I'm amazed that you got the philanthropy department to agree to these terms. Very creative. He would be a fool to pass up an offer to have one of the most powerful banks in the world to manage his money and an offer to fund his pet charities with a portion of his fees being donated in his name. Simply genius.

And to reward you for your hard work so far, I have a little gift for you and Alice, something small to show you my appreciation for what you two have achieved thus far."

Elezar reached down and opened the center drawer to his desk and pulled out two small envelopes and handed me one. I opened it and smiled with great pleasure in finding two tickets to tomorrow nights New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers hockey game.

"Oh Elezar thank you! But I think Alice won't be as excited as I am."

"I figured as much. That's why I had Stephan order her a spa day at The Mandarin Oriental. According to my wife, it's the best spa in all of New York. Since Carmen is at a spa weekly it seems, she would know better than I," Elezar chuckled thinking about his pampered wife.

I know the hockey tickets aren't for your LA Kings but I figured since your favorite player was recently transferred to the Flyers, this would be a good game to give."

"Um, what can I say? I'm so amazed that you remembered who my favorite player is. Thank you. This really means a lot to me."

"How could I not know who your favorite player is? You were blowing a gasket when he got traded to the Flyers two weeks ago. I could hear your exclamations in the break room when I walked by. You are passionate about your sports there little lady."

"Thanks again. I'll call you tomorrow once I'm done with the meeting. Alice is going to love the Spa day."

With that I grabbed my notes, the two envelopes and walked out in a warm fuzzy haze. I felt the excitement I get before a big meeting, a strong sense of pride in the faith Elezar gave me and knowing I have done all that I could to have prepared for the meeting.

_**Today is a good day and tomorrow will be even better. I can feel it. Great, now I'm talking like Alice.**_


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:**

I would like to dedicate this chapter to I_Love_Wolves. She helped inspire this chapter. It's not a lemon but I find this more endearing.

This story is also posted on One DarkBella(dot)wordpress(dot)com & with this I've also changed my pen name.

Follow Dark Bella on twitter OneDarkBella. I must warn you, she speaks her mind so please be 18 or older if you are in the US.

I'd also like to suggest visiting my dear friend kacull's FF called Paradise Retreat. http:/o(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2047422/kacull We are more than just Twisters but are sisters at heart.

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Disclaimer: Our beloved SM owns Twilight but I own Dark Bella. This story is from my damaged, demented & incredibly overly perverted mind.

**Darkest Before the Dawn**

**Written by: OneDarkBella**

**Chapter Three**

**BPOV**

The next morning while sitting in the D train into the city from my brownstone in Brooklyn all I could do was look at my watch and tap my pencil against my hand. It was annoying me so I could only imagine how it must have been bothering the people in the train around me. I needed to relax before reaching the Black Corp headquarters so I flipped through the thousands of songs on my iPod looking for one in particular.

**Here it is, this has got to work or else I'll jump out of my skin.**

I pressed play on O Quam Gloriosum, performed by the Westminster Cathedral Choir, which has been my savior, inspiration and source of relaxation. Sometimes I would have to listen to this song ten or twelve times in a row to regain my composure.

I sat back in the bench with my eyes closed listening to the harmonics of the four-part harmony and focusing on the crisp clarity of the voices singing, blending, and creating a most harmonious piece, all without the use of musical instruments.

The purity of the voices simply amazed me.

I'm not a very religious person but listening to this piece made me feel one step closer to god. When I sang this song, it felt like god could actually hear me; hear the prayers that were in my heart, hear the gift that he bestowed onto a most gracious subject and hear me thanking him for his blessing. I felt like I was channeling the angles that would take these notes we sung out to the masses and give them the joy we felt as we sang.

After listening to the song play for about five times my breathing became steadied and even along with my nerves. Some people meditate or do yoga in the attempt to reaching a Zen-like state of mind; however, I listened to obscure Gregorian chant to reach mine

Almost feeling normal again I began to think about seeing the hockey game that night with Jake.

I had a passing acquaintance with Mr. Black, but his son Jacob was a close friend of mine. To me he would always be just Jake.

Jake and I met at a pub around the corner from both of our offices called Callahan's to watch the Los Angeles King's vs. the New York Rangers hockey game. Both of us were hockey fans, but were cheering for different teams.

The evening started light hearted by talking smack back and forth during the game and at some point we were swapping stories about some of the greatest plays in hockey history.

I had only started watching hockey a few years earlier so Jake knew far more than I, but I could hold my own in a conversation. I learned early on that a great way to get a business owner to relax was to talk sports.

So I started to watch baseball, basketball and hockey just so I could strike up a conversation but ended up falling in love with the game of hockey.

It worked great in my profession.

Who would expect a little lady in a suit to be able to talk about sports? It always took them by surprise and knocked them off their game. The big boss man's giant wall would crack and crumble down just enough to get inside.

I learned about the power of a girl knowing, or wanting to learn about sports, when I asked Mike Newton to teach me about hockey my freshmen year at the University of Southern California.

**What the hell! Don't start thinking about Mike now, and get your head ready and into the zone. Shit, I can't have Mike hip check me into the boards when I'm about to get possession of the puck. **

At this time I looked up to see I was at the Rockefeller Station so I grabbed the handle to my wheeled briefcase, which had been safely tucked under my seat to wheel it off of the train.

I decided to go straight to the meeting from home instead of working at the office because I had a feeling "Stankley" and Laura would try to mess with me before the meeting so I worked from my home office this morning.

**Would Stanley really try to mind fuck me before the meeting or am I just being paranoid again? I don't know but it's just best to limit the amount of possible fuck ups. **

As I reached the top of the stairs I put my briefcase down on the sidewalk, dragging it behind me while I flip through my iPod again looking for something to psyche me up like the cliché Eye of the Tiger in Rockie. I continue to flip through songs until I came across Resistance by Muse.

I began walking in time with the music; my posture got taller, my heart pumping stronger and my confidence was soaring. I mentally pounded on my chest in preparation for the pending battle.

As the song reached its end I'm standing along the side of the Black Corp's building, I looked into the lobby and saw the Black name followed by an image of a wolf inside a circle made out of black metal on the wall behind the security desk. I took a deep breath and held it in my chest.

**Time to face the big bad wolf and this little red ridding hood isn't going to get swallowed whole.**

I exited the elevator making my way towards the receptionist's desk where I saw this stunningly beautiful Porto Rican woman with a smile that would warm the coldest of hearts. She had the rosiest, apple cheeks that would radiate when she smiled. You couldn't help but smile along with her even if you were in a grouchy mood. Her smile was infectious like that.

Her name was Griselle and I knew her a little because she had joined Jake and me for lunch a couple of times. She was one of the junior marketing execs in the same department Jake worked in. He didn't have to tell me he had a crush on her, I could tell when we spoke on the phone he asked if one of his newer co-works could join us for lunch.

She just moved to New York City from Miami and didn't know many people in town yet. It was so cute seeing Jake trying to be all cool while he ate his Philly cheese steak sandwich, he was about to say something to Griselle and as he took a bite and a long strand of beef slid out of the sandwich and dangled from the side of his mouth. I couldn't help but snort with laughter, but it was cut short as Jake shot a cold look my way. Griselle laughed as well and I could see Jake's heart melt with the sound. I swear he forgot I was there for a few seconds as he was lost in her brown eyes.

Griselle was sitting where the receptionist normally sits.

"Hey, Griselle," I greeted her. "What are you doing sitting at the front desk?"

"Hi, Bella." Her eyes shot up from the computer screen, flashing me a gentle smile. "The receptionist has a dentist's appointment this morning so we're switching covering the front until she gets back. Jacob asked me to man the desk during the time you would come in for the meeting. He thought it would be easier for you before your meeting with Mr. Black."

"That Jake is always so considerate. Um, I thought Jake asked you not to call him Jacob?"

"Oh I know but calling him Jake is so personal and he's Mr. Black's son. I don't feel comfortable speaking to him in the familiar. I mean he's so nice and all but… it's better this way." Griselle seemed like she was still debating with herself about how to address Jake before she turned on her professional courtesy. "Have a seat and I'll let Emily, Mr. Black's assistant, know you're here. I believe everyone is already in the big conference room." Griselle says with a sympathetic smile.

"Griselle, when you say everyone, who and how many are we talking about? I thought I was to meet with Mr. Black and a few of his department heads."

"Looking at the list of calls we need to direct to voice mail," she began, rustling papers to give me an exact number, "I'd say most of the senior executives, so about twenty four people in total including Mr. Black."

My face turned white with fear hearing how many I would be speaking to. It was going to be nerve wracking speaking with Mr. Black anyways but to address an additional twenty-three people. That would just be… oh shit!

"Bella, are you okay? Do you need some water or tea? We have this great lemon ginger tea. Maybe it will help with your nerves. I'll be right back. You like one equal, right?"

"Yes, please and how did you know?"

"Oh I remembered you ordering tea when I joined you and Jacob for lunch at Au Bon Pan a few weeks ago." With that the sunshine left the room along with her.

I opened my briefcase to count the amount of printed proposals Alice had the printing department make, somehow there were twenty-five copies.

**How the hell did that pixie have the foresight to print so many copies? Normally she prints out a dozen for me when we're not clear with who would be attending. **

**Premonition Pixie saves the day yet again. **

Griselle walked back in holding out the cup of tea for me while another lady walked in behind her.

"I'm Emily, Mr. Black's assistant," the woman introduced herself. "I was the one who couriered our financials over to you. Once you get your belongings together, I'll escort you to the conference room."

"I must say I love your suit, red looks good on you." Emily added politely making small talk as I reorganized my briefcase.

"Ah yes, Emily. I've spoken to you on the phone correct?" I asked making sure I was thinking of the correct Emily. "Thank you for the compliment. Red is my favorite color and this also happens to be my favorite suit as well."

It really was my favorite suite not only because of the color, but it was also happened to be my lucky suit as well and I wasn't holding anything back because I needed every last drop of luck I could scrounge together.

Emily walked in front of me leading me towards two big, ornate wooden doors flanked with glass windows on either side. The handles on the door were black metal in the shape of the Black Corp logo, a formidable yet caring looking wolf inside a circle. The logo was cut in half acting as a pull handle for each door. The logo was part of the Quileute legend Jake told me about once, the spirit of Taha Aki the great wolf who was the last Great Spirit chief of the Quieute. Mr. Black and Jake were direct descendants.

Emily opened one of the doors and gestured for me to enter.

Talk about a packed house, all of the chairs but two were occupied. One seat towards the head of the table next to Mr. Black was where Emily sat down leaving the seat at the foot of the table for me. As she sat down Mr. Black stood up and gestured toward the empty seat, the hot seat in my opinion.

"Miss Swan, thank you for joining us." Mr. Black gave me a gentle smile. "Please have a seat."

**Holly cannoli this is really happening. **

"Thank you, Mr. Black," I responded, shocking myself at how calm I sounded. "It's a pleasure to be here."

I looked around the room hoping to find a familiar face as I pulled out the proposals and passed them out. Mentally I cursed that Jake wasn't attending the meeting, part of me had a feeling he wouldn't but I was still hoping for at least one friendly face amongst this sea of suits.

As I looked up toward Mr. Black I saw who was sitting on either side of him, Emily was sitting to the left of Mr. Black and Paul was sitting to the right. I felt a lump in my throat when I saw Paul because Jake warned me about him and joked that what Paul really needed was to have my girlfriend Van give him a proper shag to put a smile on his face.

Jake was working his way through the company spending time in each department. He had told me the hardest time he ever had was working for Paul, who was the CFO of the Black Corp, a position that Jake would occupy someday until he took over the family business.

Paul wasn't much older than me so I knew he had brains and a head for numbers. After all you don't get to be the CFO of a large corporation like this on just looks alone, though he did look fine to me. He was also from the Quieute tribe and won an academic scholarship sponsored by Black Corp.

I started going over the presentation smiling, looking people in the eye, and speaking loudly, but not too loud. By reading everyone's body language I tried to gage how the presentation was going and I saw heads nodding yes, which was a good sign. The more they shook their heads and said yes was a sign that they were selling themselves on the sale.

**Okay Bella, you got them on the right path and it's time to go over the clincher. **

Finally, I came to the part of the presentation I worked the hardest on, the part where the bank would take a portion of their service fees charged to Black Corp and donate it to the charities of Mr. Black's choosing. I already knew which charity he would earmark the funds for, he would choose Shift the Power. Mr. Black had been interviewed a few times recently about the South Dakota's Lakota Sioux.

The South Dakota Lakota Sioux Reservation had suffered harsh winter storms in January 2010 causing power lines to freeze-over leaving thousands without electricity, heat or drinking water. To make matters worse many that were left without electricity were sick or elderly members of the tribe who had to be evacuated from their homes, all of this occurred in one of our nation's most impoverished areas.

I did what I could on my own but wanted to do more than just write my congressperson, which I did, so Jake and I discussed the hardships the Lakota Sioux were suffering around the same time I was analyzing Black Corp's financials. It gave me a great idea on how I could get the bank to help when they normally wouldn't donate to such a cause, the bank only donated to charities that would target the appreciation of its shareholders and made the bank look good on the evening news.

"Excuse me, Miss Swan," Paul spoke up as he cleared his throat, "but why is the bank charging these fees, which are in some areas higher than our current financial institution and donating it? Why isn't the bank offering us the direct discount? I don't see how this makes good business sense." He tossed the proposal loudly on the table in front of him. "Just as Black Corp, the bank is in the business of making money. We need to make our shareholders happy and pay the bills. The bank also has the need to offset some of the taxes through charitable contributions which also make us look good for our shareholders and gaining the trust of the consumers who will want to deposit there money into our financial institution.

"Mr. Black is well known for his philanthropy with scholarships given to underprivileged students who have excelled educationally but lack the funds for a higher education," I said with an even tone while still trying to impress the rest of the board. "Addressing the needs of his own tribe and assisting many other tribes in great need like the Lakota Sioux. This proposal is a win-win for both Black Corp and the bank, not to mention the relief this money will bring to those who need it."

"Don't think what you've read on page five of this morning's post is going to impress us, Miss Swan," Paul mocked me. "What do you know of charity? I say not much by the looks of your nicely manicured hands."

I started to get angry and tried to keep my calm game face but it was hard. I could feel the façade cracking when Mr. Black spoke up.

"Paul, that's enough. From speaking with my son, Miss Swan spends a fair amount of time assisting others in need. My son has told me about the two of them going to BedStuy to help build houses with Habitat for Humanity, as well as the time they spent in Washington Heights cleaning out the parks of overgrowth where many drug users hid. As they cleared out the brush where used syringe needles and broken crack pipes were found, now children can play and not be afraid of being stuck or cut by drug paraphernalia.

"She also miraculously got my son to agree to attend the Metropolitan Museum to assist with New York Cares scavenger hunt with children from the Bronx borough, and my son hasn't set foot into a museum voluntarily without a fight since he was a child.

"Miss Swan, having such a large financial institution such as yours offering financial support to Be The Shift would bring attention and press to this cause along with much needed money."

Hearing Mr. Black speak stunned me, along with Paul apparently since he just sat in his seat fuming. Mr. Black had a pleasant sounding voice that commanded respect, but that wasn't what stunned me the most. I never knew Jake spoke about the time we spent together, especially since his father was a subject that wasn't brought up much so I just figured Jake didn't speak about me in front of him. I apparently figured wrong.

"Miss Swan, thank you for your hard work. We will need some time to consider your proposal." Mr. Black walked over to me, placed one hand on my shoulder and shook my hand. He leaned down to me slightly to speak with me with a hushed voice, "You did an excellent job with the presentation and handled yourself well. I appreciate you not using your friendship with my son as an angle to obtain my business. Many have tried to get to me through my son and it has left him jaded of sorts.

"He says you're a strong warrior, that you embody the brotherhood of the spirit warriors. By appearances you would think not, but seeing you stand your ground against Paul as well as seeing the bruises you inflict on Jacob after one of your sparing matches, I must agree with him.

"Give us a week to mull things over. You did an excellent job today and I see us working together in the near future; perhaps, with you as a member of my organization?

"However, I do have one thing to ask of you on a personal note. The next time you two spar at the gym, please don't mark up his face too much. It caused quite a stir when Jacob showed up at the office with a busted lip and bruised face."

With one last quick smile Mr. Black turned to the others in the room and announced it was time to break for lunch and that the meeting would resume in an hour and a half so I grabbed my coat, along with my bags, and quickly exited the boardroom. I couldn't walk fast enough to my office to update Elezar.

If you want to learn how you can help Be the Shift and the South Dakota's Lakota Sioux, please visit http:/shiftthepowertothepeople(dot)squarespace(dot)com/

To see the Black Corp logo, I've posted an image similar to the one I envisioned on twitpic. You can see it at http:/twitpic(dot)com/1qkb7h

If you want to listen to a sample of the song Bella used as her meditation you can here it at www(dot)hbdirect(dot)com/album_?pid=15001 Just replace the (dot) with dots lol.

Please remember to leave a review!


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